


strawberry blonde

by Anonymous



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, F/F, No spoilers :), Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 07:40:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20756762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: they were friends.  close ones at that.  everyone knew it.but she wanted to be more.





	strawberry blonde

**Author's Note:**

> [♫](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g685pAuKW34)
> 
> _All I need, darling_
> 
> _Is a life in your shape_
> 
> _I picture it, soft_
> 
> _And I ache_
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> listen listen listen i know mercedes' hair colour isnt strawberry blonde i KNOW but i just wanted to write a songfic based on this song and im weak for this ship please dont bully me in the comment ple 

"Mercedes. The professor is calling for you."

Tucking a loose strand behind her ear, Ingrid leaned over the woman she was calling out to. When the knight found her, she looked so peaceful, peacefully resting underneath the shade of a tree. It was Linhardt's favourite napping place, so it was no surprise that someone else would eventually take leisure in it. Mercedes opened one eye, a grin making its way to her face. She reached out, patting the open space to her left.

"Come now, Ingrid," she offered. "Lie with me."

Ingrid was hesitant, her eyes trailing away. From the way Byleth spoke, the matter was urgent. Not severe, though. Sighing, she caved, taking a seat. She noticed that Mercedes had taken her boots off, her socks neatly folded beside them. How long had she been out here? 

The moment classes had ended, she was out of sight. At first, Ingrid didn't take notice, as she was at the stables, helping take care of the horses. It was when Byleth asked her for help to find the priestess, stating that she was the closest person to Mercedes. The cathedral was already a no-go, and it seemed the poor professor had looked everywhere on campus. Thank Goddess that Ingrid knew how Mercedes liked to take time to herself, and came here on a whim.

Speaking of, her attention returned to the girl on her mind, who was staring aimlessly into the sky. Nothing seemed to ever faze her. She appeared so tranquil, the sun peeking through the leaves carefully cascading her figure. Eyes of blue met ones of green, and Ingrid had to look away. A blush was creeping upon her cheeks, and she hoped that Mercedes hadn't noticed. 

"I suppose I should be going, huh?"

Mercedes sat up, stretching an arm over her head. The smile she wore was stunning, one that could melt anyone's heart. Even Ingrid's. She stood, taking a few steps away from the tree before beginning to run. Suddenly riddled with worry, Ingrid stood, about to chase after her classmate. As if sensing Ingrid's anxiety, Mercedes stopped, turning back to her and holding her hands behind her back. No words were exchanged, just Mercedes continuing to smile.

Glancing at the place where Mercedes had been lying down moments before, she noticed an outline in the grass. It indicated that she really had been there for quite some time. Truthfully, Ingrid wished she had said nothing, and simply joined her friend. Most of their time spent together was during their private tea times, hidden away in Mercedes' room. There were also the times when Mercedes visited Ingrid during training, expressing her concern that the knight would only wear herself out. Something about just simply lying together brought an unfamiliar comfort, though.

With a shake of her head, Ingrid grabbed Mercedes' boots and socks, making her way over while wearing a small smile of her own.

-

“Ingrid!”

Hearing the call of her name, Ingrid raised her head, spotting Mercedes walking her way. A smile came upon her face, and she turned away from the steed she had been brushing the hair of, dropping the brush into a crate of other materials. Even though Mercedes was approaching, she jogged over, taking the taller one’s hands in her own. “Mercedes!” she exclaimed, “It’s so good to see you. What brings you out here?”

“Well . . .” Mercedes focused on the horse Ingrid had just been tending to, eyes softening. Ingrid looked that way, then back to Mercedes, still smiling. “Interested in going for a ride?” she asked, letting go of Mercedes’ hands. The priestess nodded, stepping towards the steed and reaching out. It shoved its muzzle into her hand, catching her off-guard, and she stepped back into Ingrid. “Careful!” she warned, “He’s a bit of a feisty one. He won’t hurt you, but he gets riled up pretty easily.”

Taking one of Mercedes’ hands once again, Ingrid lead her to the left side, the saddle already upon its back. It seemed as though she had been planning to go on a ride, so Mercedes had caught her at the perfect time. “Can you get up on your own?” Ingrid asked, pointing towards the loops where Mercedes was placing her foot to boost herself. With a giggle, she nodded, saying, “This isn’t my first time on a horse, Ingrid. Please, don’t worry.”

An expression that could only be described as conflicted crossed Mercedes’ face for a moment, but passed as quickly as it came, and she shot up as she applied pressure to her foot. Her right leg swung over the saddle, landing on the other side with ease. Mercedes was already rather tall, but seeing her upon a horse made her even more intimidating, much to Ingrid’s odd pleasure. Shaking the thought out of her head, she motioned for Mercedes to scoot back, and began to boost herself up.

Ingrid made sure Mercedes was comfortable, then took off. They trotted first, heading towards the marketplace and awaiting the approval to leave the monastery. The guards hesitated, mumbling unheard words to one another, only to open the gate. The horse reared, neighing loudly, and sending them on their way. A laugh came from Mercedes, whose grip was tightening around Ingrid’s waist. It was times like this that she was glad her face wasn’t visible to the other.

Hooves stomped against the dirt of the trail, Ingrid’s attention turned straight ahead. “It feels like flying!” Mercedes called out, resulting in a grin from Ingrid. She gazed at the open fields, which looked so beautiful during this time of year, flowers blooming and animals grazing about. A group of mustang ran together about ten meters to the west, looking so free and carefree. Something within Ingrid’s chest began to ache, and lightly whipped the reigns, demanding her noble steed slow himself.

At a slower pace, it gave the two of them the chance to chat. Despite being unable to see each other’s faces, they talked casually, just as they did when sharing tea in Mercedes’ room. “What did the professor need that day?” Ingrid asked, her gaze still looking forward. When Mercedes hummed, she could feel it against her back, causing her to flush red. Her lips were so close to her ear. “Nothing important,” the priestess claimed, “just a few questions about a recent assignment.”

“A teacher asking for assistance from a student? That’s certainly different.”

“Ah, I offered to help her, in case her workload became too much. For someone so young, she works so fiercely.”

“Actually, Mercedes, you’re older than the rest of us, right?”

“Indeed.” Mercedes’ tone dropped for a moment, and Ingrid felt as though she might’ve insulted the other, but she continued on regardless. “I might even be older than the professor! We’ll never know, though.”

“Yeah . . .” Ingrid hoped that Mercedes didn’t notice the change in her own tone, silence beginning to fill the air. How close were they, anyway? Pondering on it, they surely seemed closer than anyone else. Even closer than she and Mercedes. The familiar ache in her chest returned, and she shook her head. It was just a student and teacher, nothing more. Byleth treated Mercedes the same as all of the others. There was nothing out of the ordinary about asking a student for help, gently caressing her cheek when they thought no one was looking, sitting so closely during dining hours. Nothing strange about that, not at all.

“Ingrid?” Mercedes’ sweet voice brought the knight back to reality, and she turned her head to look back, giving an anxious smile. “I’m fine,” she lied, hoping the topic could be dropped. The expression Mercedes wore said that she didn’t want to, but did so anyway, probably to avoid making Ingrid uncomfortable. There was no use thinking about it. Whatever they did was their business, not hers. Clearing her throat, she spoke again, “You said that it felt like flying.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. We were going so fast, and I could feel the wind blow so fervently. I’ve never flown before, but I imagine it would feel like that.”

“Well, would you like to go flying sometime?”

-

Her foot was tapping in an impatient matter, and she wouldn’t have noticed, had Petra not pointed it out. The Brigid princess was returning her own pegasus to the stable, as nighttime was approaching and everyone was to head to bed. Petra already knew of Ingrid and Mercedes’ nightly ritual, going out for a ride in the skies once a week. After all, they had been doing it for five years, and she promised to keep it a secret, as Ingrid was a valued ally. Not only that, but she worked herself so hard that a break like this was something she definitely needed.

Although, she and Ingrid both knew perfectly well why she was so on edge. Mercedes always arrived at sundown, that way they could slip out when security was at its lowest, and the sun was already close to falling below the horizon. As a friendly gesture, Petra remained, and the two of them stood in silence. If it seemed awkward, Ingrid didn’t notice, now focused on gnawing at her glove.

“Ingrid,” Petra called, making Ingrid jump in surprise. Regaining her posture, Ingrid pushed her hands against the hem of her jacket, smiling at Petra. “What is it?” She asked, feigning innocence. From one look into Petra’s eyes, it was cleared that she hadn’t been fooled, and Ingrid sighed. She crouched down, propping her elbows upon her knees and catching her chin in her palms. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and saddened. “Why isn’t she here yet?”

“Perhaps it is having to do with the return of the professor,” Petra suggested, resulting in Ingrid hiding her face away in her palms. Of course. There was no other explanation. Even Petra could tell that Ingrid had no interest in continuing the conversation, her gaze falling to the ground. She felt horrible, knowing that there was no way she could relate to Ingrid’s situation. Although, in Brigid, they had their own ways of dealing with issues such as this. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the gentle calling of another.

“Ingrid!”

At the sound of the voice, Ingrid hopped up, literally running into Mercedes. Their height difference no longer mattered as Ingrid grabbed Mercedes by the waist, lifting her into the air. The priestess began to giggle, enjoying the affection, holding her arms out as she was twirled around. Ingrid returned her to the ground, smiling brightly. “Sorry for being late,” Mercedes apologised, and Ingrid waved it off. “Nonsense!” She insisted, grabbing Mercedes by the hand and pulling her towards the pegasus that was waiting to take off.

“Just a moment, Ingrid,” Mercedes said, pulling her hand away. The action made Ingrid hold her breath, feeling disheartened and hoping it didn’t show on her face. Although, Mercedes simply took her hat off, saying, “I need to place this away, remember? I know you’re excited, but I won’t be more than a second.”

“Y-Yes, of course!” Ingrid watched as Mercedes slipped inside the stable, going to hang the hat upon one of the tool hooks. There was then a hand on her arm, and she looked towards Petra, whom it belonged to. The princess seemed rather firm, but not threatening. “Ingrid, I am not believing it is my place to say this, but unless you are being the honest with Mercedes, you will never be having another chance.” The grip of her hand released, and Petra stepped back, smiling. “I will be taking my leave. Please be having the goodnight.” And just like that, she was gone.

There was truth to the words that had been spoken. No matter how far Ingrid pushed these feelings down, Petra was right. She would have to say something, before it was too late. Although, there was no time to dwell, as Mercedes reappeared, already on her way to the pegasus. While they both knew there was no need for Ingrid to help Mercedes up, she chose to do so, wanting her touch to linger for as long as possible. She mounted afterwards, and they went onward, into the darkening sky.

Every time they began to soar, Mercedes would laugh, as if it she had not done it before. Her hand would reach out, the pressure of the wind blowing against her own strength, and she would simply giggle. Everything that Mercedes did made Ingrid’s heart beat harder, and if she had not been aware of what she was feeling, she’d assume she was on the verge of having a heart attack. Petra’s words echoed in her head. She had to say it. Licking her lips, she prepared to confess, opening her mouth to speak —

“Ingrid, there’s something I must tell you.”

Her heart almost stopped, and Ingrid nearly lost control, the pegasus dipping forward. Mercedes squealed, her grip around Ingrid’s waist tightening, her face pressed into the crook where the neck met the shoulder. “Sorry!” Ingrid exclaimed, making sure that Mercedes couldn’t see her face. Now back in full control, she urged her friend to go on, “What is it?” The hard beating returned, her heart smashing against her ribs. Her mouth felt dry. Oh Goddess, had she been found out?

Despite it being impossible, Ingrid swore she could feel Mercedes smile against her shoulder. She had yet to move from her previous position, causing Ingrid’s embarrassment to only rise higher. When Mercedes spoke, her words vibrated against Ingrid’s skin. “I . . . love the professor.” Silence followed. Even if she couldn’t see behind her, Ingrid knew Mercedes was concerned when no reply was given. Then, she laughed.

“Is that it?” She asked, hoping she would not offend her friend. There was a small but sharp pain in her side, and she realised that Mercedes had pinched her. Ingrid let out a small noise of disapproval, then smiled once again. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just that I’m not surprised. You two were obvious from the start.”

“Oh? Really now? Why didn’t you speak up, then?”

“Because your business is your business. But if you really do love her . . . then I’m happy for you. Truly, I am.”

“Ingrid.”

_ Don’t say my name like that.  _ Slightly turning her head to get a look at Mercedes, she raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Thank you.”

Her blue eyes held nothing but gratitude, and the warmth in her smile was so pure that it hurt.  _ Don’t look at me like that. Not again.  _ Ingrid nodded, her own grin growing wider. But when she looked back ahead, it faded, and tears formed in her eyes. This would be their last night like this. She felt sad, but she also felt happy. Sad that she had waited far too long, happy that Mercedes had found her true love. There was no helping it. 

The tears spilled, and she let her head hang, hoping that Mercedes was still smiling into her back.

**Author's Note:**

> not proofread, as per usual  
thank you for reading


End file.
